1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to communications jacks and the wiring of such jack and more particularly to the termination of individual conductors in associated insulation displacing contacts (xe2x80x9cIDCxe2x80x9d) of a communications jack and the severing of the excess insulated conductor beyond the lead frame support of such jack.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At present individual insulated conductors are terminated in insulation displacing contacts and the portion of the insulated conductor beyond the lead frame support is severed by a cut-off blade on available impact tools. These tools engage the insulated conductor on either side of the IDC slot and force the insulated conductor downwardly into the slot slicing through the insulation, parting it and making electrical and mechanical contact with the metallic conductor therein.
The tool cutting edge scrubs along the outer surface of the lead frame support and if the edge is sharp and the impact high, the insulated conductor may be cleanly severed. However, if the blade cutting edge is not sharp, the impact is low, the insulation soft and pliable and the metallic conductor soft and ductile, the cut will be anything but sharp. The distortion of the insulated conductor outside of the lead frame support could also cause problems in the IDC slot. The conductor could be cut or thinned making for a poor or little contact. There can be exposed bare conductor ends which could short out other conductors and the like.
The invention disclosed herein overcomes the difficulties noted above with respect to the described prior art devices by providing a cutting edge to support the insulated conductor to be severed, adjacent the lead frame support and back-up the cutting blade so that a smooth, clean cut can be made, adjacent the lead frame support, to permit the excess insulated conductor to be removed without affecting the quality of the conductor joint at the IDC slot. It is an object of the invention to provide an improved connector which facilitates the removal of any excess portion of a conductor beyond the connector.
It is another object of the invention to provide an improved connector which provides a support for any excess conductor beyond the connector to facilitate the removal of such excess conductor.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an improved connector which provides a support for any excess conductor beyond the connector and provides an anvil for a cutting blade employed to sever such excess conductor.
Other objects and features of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principles of the invention, and the best mode presently contemplated for carrying them out.